March 8, 2024/ Midnight
Erie Pa., — Gannon University has received an abundance of opposition from the Erie Community as Project NePTWNE’s Great Lakes Research and Education Center has been assigned an architect.
Project NePTWNE (Nano & Polymer Technology for water and Neural-networks in Erie) is a six-phase environmental project that aims to address the aspects of water quality, climate change, and the quality of life surrounding the Great Lakes.
Through researching and measuring pollutants such as microplastics in the lake water, researchers can work toward developing solutions that reduce pollutant levels to make a safe water ecosystem.
Phase 1 of the project was developing the Center for Manufacturing and Technology within Gannon’s Institute for Health and Cyber Knowledge (I-Hack). The manufacturing and technology center was opened in October of 2023 completing this phase.
Phase 2 is the introduction of the Great Lakes Research and Education Center which Gannon plans to develop in Blasco Library.
Phase 3 was initiated in December of 2023 with the breaking of ground for the NePTWNE project greenhouse.
Phase 4 has Gannon on the hunt for a new vessel to augment the Environaut and expand the educational programming for Kindergarten through Undergraduate students.
Phases 5 and 6 include a public health and policy program and a lake monitoring facility.
Project NePTWNE phase 2 has caused an uproar for Gannon as the Erie Community expresses their anger as the 3,280 square feet of the Blasco Library will be dedicated to the new research facility.
The space will be available for students and community members to follow along as Gannon researchers investigate the Great Lake Ecosystem. The Great Lakes Research and Education Center will include an exhibit space, a science on a sphere lecture space, and the research facility itself.
On February 21, Gannon announced their partnership with Indovina Associates Architects of Pittsburgh. With the architect selected, protesters and petitioners have renewed their efforts in voicing their concerns with the location of Project NePTWNE.
With more than 5,000 individuals having signed a petition against Gannon’s lease the public has expressed its disapproval of a public space being rented to a private institution.
One way the public petitioned against the project is with signs and pickets. Many people have been standing outside of Beyer Hall expressing their disapproval of the project’s location.
A common point that is mentioned by the Erie community is that they believe there was a lack of communication between the public, Erie County Council, and Gannon University.
The resolution process to pass a lease starts with the Erie County Executive who negotiates the lease. The executive will then offer the agreement up to the council to discuss. Once the council discusses the potential for the lease a vote is taken shortly after.
As was explained, this process has a quick turnaround. In Gannon’s case the lease was brought to the council on a Thursday and was voted into effect the following Tuesday. This left little opportunity for the public to be made aware and voice their concerns before the vote.
Others voice concerns about how the space could be improved for the public in other ways. One such individual is former Erie County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper who voiced her displeasure with the project being placed in the Blasco Library in an opinion piece for GoErie.
Dahlkemper stated “I have heard arguments that the library use of space is changing and, somehow, allowing Gannon to occupy this large section of the library will benefit the library’s future…I believe that this could not be further from reality.”
Dahlkemper argues that the space has been improved with new spaces such as the Idea Lab, the Media Lab, and the Teen Space. These improvements have developed a creative environment in Blasco where individuals from the community can “make their ideas a reality” she stated.
While discussing these concerns with Gannon representatives it was explained that the exhibit space will have an interpretive display that informs guests about the Lake Erie ecosystem. These displays could include fish tanks, plaques with information about active research and more.
The Science on a Sphere portion of the project will hold a $150,000-250,000 device on which researchers/lecturers can show and describe different climates, ecosystems, and display a full image of the Earth.
The other portion of the center will house the lab for Gannon Faculty and staff to perform studies on Lake Erie. This year Gannon is looking at perch migrations. The facility will open more opportunities for students and faculty to explore new more extensive research points.
This part of the space will be surrounded by glass windows allowing on lookers to observe the research going on. Gannon hopes that the facility will also be used as an educational tool for the public as researchers can welcome people into the lab to explain the current study.
It is relevant to note that the space in the library Gannon plans to occupy is space the library considers, “flexible.” For instance, the current downstairs location of the computer lab was originally located on the second floor. Some of those computers were relocated temporarily to the first floor for COVID social distancing and can now relocate back to the original area on the second floor. Patrons will not lose computer access due to Gannon’s presence.
As Dr. Sarah Ewing, Gannon’s Provost, discussed in an interview with local news, the public will be able to provide feedback on the plans for space and they will move forward with the inclusion of the public’s feedback.
Many locals who have reached out to The Gannon Knight have explained that the environmental benefits of Project NePTWNE are not the issue, rather just the location of the project.
One individual, who is a part of Project Minerva, stated in an interview that the space Gannon hopes to use is frequently used by the public.
She said, “Project Minerva isn’t opposed to the project…one individual who has spoken to council is a water tester…these people want the project to happen just not in the location that was selected.”
Community individuals are outraged by the public space being occupied and the cost of Gannon’s lease. With the grant bestowed on Gannon for this project funds will be returning to the Erie Community.
In response, the university stated that the programs provided will be free to the public and that this research facility will not be a business but rather an investment in the well-being of the environment.
As it stands Gannon will move forward with the project and work closely with the Erie Community and Indovina Associate Architects of Pittsburgh.
For further information or questions contact Haley Figurski – Media, Marketing, and Sales Manager at Gannon – at [email protected].
Brenda Weaver • Apr 19, 2024 at 1:48 pm
What you are missing in this matter is that Gannon is a private Catholic University. The objection is that those of us that are not of this faith believe this is a violation of our religious freedom when our tax dollars are going to support a Catholic University. Gannon will not benefit monetarily from this project, however, they will benefit in recruiting students. How would Catholics feel if a Moslem, Jewish, or Protestant group had gotten this space? This is not a good public relations move for Gannon University and could backfire on them.
Lorraine Dolan • Mar 20, 2024 at 11:13 pm
Hi Helen, This should never have been a done deal (locating inside Blasco Library) until there was a public meeting bringing all related information to the public. Blasco is a public entity built for and by the people. There is just no justifying this action on the part of Gannon University and the County Executive. it is not too late to do the right thing. Dr. Iwanenko said I’m not “married” to this location. He understands who he is dealing with when working with Mr. Davis—-that Davis needs to believe he is the decision maker—nothing could change unless Davis believes it to be his idea. Dr. Iwanenko made a statement to the effect that Davis’ behavior does nothing to help himself. Mr. Oathout has also recognized this is faulty governing, but not Gannon’s problem. This is just plain wrong. Lorraine Dolan
Lorraine Dolan • Mar 11, 2024 at 6:53 am
I think the author missed the point, and as a result misrepresented the issue at hand. This issue is about a faulty County governing process and Gannon University’s, with full knowledge, compliance; use of what little public building space that exists in Erie for a project of a private entity, and bypassing the taxpayers in a decision that involves a 25 year lease.
The author, although I am sure well intentioned, failed to provide a balanced story writing mostly about Project NePTWNE itself.
Where is the in-depth reporting on the opposing perspective? Why did Dr. Iwanenko tell me and one other in an office meeting that he was “not married” to the idea of the Public library location, yet has not shown the earnest to identify any other location that would be acceptable. Any one following this discussion in the press must know there is more to this story than is being shared publicly. That in itself defies the state Sunshine Law.
Lorraine Dolan. Concerned Citizen
Kathleen Lutz • Mar 10, 2024 at 10:09 pm
good articl over all. The Library belongs to the public. no private entity should be leasing any part of the library. the library brings a wide range of stem programs to the library taking over this space will inhibit future programs of all kinds.
The lease is obscene. what is the environmental impact to the library and its patrons?
Anna McCartney • Mar 10, 2024 at 6:59 pm
Jillian, sadly the article is not accurate especially with this statement: “It is relevant to note that the space in the library Gannon plans to occupy is space the library considers, “flexible.” For instance, the current downstairs location of the computer lab was originally located on the second floor. Some of those computers were relocated temporarily to the first floor for COVID social distancing and can now relocate back to the original area on the second floor. Patrons will not lose computer access due to Gannon’s presence.” None of that space Gannon is taking is flexible. If you take time to look at the Blasco Master Plan you will see the computer lab was not moved downstairs because of Covid. And the only person at the library who agreed with this statement was Karen Pierce, the former director who quit at the beginning of January. With the right to know request we filed we know that Karen Pierce and the Davis Administration was working with Gannon in private leaving out the most important people who should have made the final decision.
We have tried to get Gannon to stop saying the lies that were told to them by Brenton Davis but they seem to have lost their moral compass. Brenton Davis and Gannon administrators are lying about why the lab was moved from the upstairs location. The true fact about the computer lab at the Blasco is that it was moved downstairs as a part of the library expansion project. That 2016-2017 Master Plan project had public input and was implemented based on their feedback. It was moved downstairs to give better access. That is an easily verifiable fact. So why is Davis and Gannon saying it was moved due to COVID?
An impact study on adding a research lab was never done and other than the Library Director Karen Pierce who is no longer there, the library staff, the library advisory board, the friends of the library, the Erie Regional Library Foundation and other library experts were never included.
In fact there was a gag order on the library staff so they could not give their opinions publicly. The constant attacks on Blasco library by county administration has finally pushed some staff over the edge. In December Davis tried to cut 9 library positions. We succeeded in stopping him from cutting 8 positions. In addition to already being short, two more librarians are leaving! One from Adult Services and one from Children’s and it will be hard to find qualified replacements. On top of that, a clerk just transferred to the Edinboro branch to avoid the constant stress at Blasco. They have another clerk on medical leave so are barely enough staff to run the evening shifts. Patrons yelling at them because of what the county is doing. It is a very stressful time! Yet no one can answer how Gannon is going to access all the shared spaces without walking through secure areas that require county employee badges or if the Gannon staff will be required to follow the same privacy rules that staff and contractors do. There are laws that protect library patrons’ privacy and county owned information but there is no mention on how those will be enforced with Gannon. Every time the county tries to prepare a new area for future Gannon activity, the staff loses more storage or other areas that they depend on.
For Gannon to say the library is not being affected is so wrong! Please do the research instead of relying on Gannon administrators to tell a true story about why the public is so against Gannon taking space from our public library. You can easily get a copy of the Blasco Master Plan to verify why the computer lab was moved and learn more about the other areas being moved including staff offices and other important areas that are currently being used to run the library. If you can’t find one I am happy to provide one to you.